Moving Jib Tracks

Wet Spreaders

Wet Spreaders

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So I want to move my jib tracks inboard. It's an OD class, but mine's an early boat and the tracks are outboard 2" more than the class standard - I'm allowed to make the change. The construction is the usual glass, endgrain balsa, glass sandwich.

I'm mulling on using one of those epoxy resins that come in a squirty tube (caulking gun type) with a mixer nozzel to fill up the old holes and also to waterproof the new ones before I bolt the track in place. Totalboat Thixo comes in "thickened", "low viscosity" and "fast setting". Do I want the gooey stuff so it will stay were I put it when I squirt it in the hole, or do I want the runny stuff so it has a better chance to wick into the balsa and waterproof it?

Other sage advice?

 
Varan

Varan

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Allen wrench or bent nail in drill to remove core around old and new holes. Tape bottom of holes and fill with thickened epoxy. Redrill new holes after it hardens.

 
SloopJonB

SloopJonB

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You don't want it too thick or it won't fill the holes properly - air gets trapped.

The area of the holes is so small that "structural" doesn't factor in so tape the bottom and fill with thin resin. Keep a toothpick on hand and probe the freshly filled hole to pop any air bubbles. Overfill the holes to compensate for shrinkage during cure, otherwise you'll need to add a fairing layer afterwards.

 
E

European Bloke

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For the new track I'd drill big, at least 3x diameter of bolts, more if practical. Brown parcel tape under holes, fill with reasonably runny epoxy, cirtainly not the peanut butter. Slight countersunk on the real bike holes to hold a bit of sealant.

Use the same stuff on the old holes, possibly a little runnier.

Why buy the tube, mix it yourself and you can get it how you want it? Small syringe as suggested above is how I'd start. Might put a little really runny in first and follow up with something thicker.

 
slug zitski

slug zitski

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Wet Spreaders said:
So I want to move my jib tracks inboard. It's an OD class, but mine's an early boat and the tracks are outboard 2" more than the class standard - I'm allowed to make the change. The construction is the usual glass, endgrain balsa, glass sandwich.

I'm mulling on using one of those epoxy resins that come in a squirty tube (caulking gun type) with a mixer nozzel to fill up the old holes and also to waterproof the new ones before I bolt the track in place. Totalboat Thixo comes in "thickened", "low viscosity" and "fast setting". Do I want the gooey stuff so it will stay were I put it when I squirt it in the hole, or do I want the runny stuff so it has a better chance to wick into the balsa and waterproof it?

Other sage advice?
Click to expand...
Remember to counter sink the hole before filling with bog or you will certainly get a hole print thru in the finished surface 

75D79AAB-1932-4589-9797-326073D0A404.jpeg

 
Y

yoyo

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Good description of the process https://marinehowto.com/sealing-deck-penetrations-to-prevent-core-rot/  I like the step with unthickend epoxy to pre wet the balsa and fill small voids before filling with thickened but still runny enough to flow/fill.

Are in-haulers allowed in the class?  That would allow tighter sheeting angle without moving the track and still allow outboard sheeting when its blowing.

 
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Wet Spreaders

Wet Spreaders

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European Bloke said:
For the new track I'd drill big, at least 3x diameter of bolts, more if practical. Brown parcel tape under holes, fill with reasonably runny epoxy, cirtainly not the peanut butter. Slight countersunk on the real bike holes to hold a bit of sealant.

Use the same stuff on the old holes, possibly a little runnier.

Why buy the tube, mix it yourself and you can get it how you want it? Small syringe as suggested above is how I'd start. Might put a little really runny in first and follow up with something thicker.
Click to expand...
I want to use the tube mix because I never used it before (just to try it) and because I'm really messy - I can spread this stuff everywhere if unsupervised  (simple clumsiness and inattention). Also, it's hot - even in October. I want to limit the steps to reduce the chance that I'll spill something on my deck and to reduce the time from mix to application. Also, I'm guessing that the tube type does not mix so much air into the epoxy, so there will be fewer voids to pop, or require refilling. It will likely cost a few bucks more and there will be some wastage if I don't use the whole tube, but on the other hand, we're talking a few bucks anyway and I'd probably spend that in cups, stiring sticks, syringes, masking, and cleanup if I was mixing from jugs into cups into syringes.

It looks like there's a difference of opinion on whether to use "thickened" or "low viscosity", which is good because that means it probably does not matter much. Maybe I'll get a tube of each and see what happens.

 
E

European Bloke

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Ideally I'd put something easy to sand in the old holes, and something strong in the new holes. So two different mixes. I do see your point though. Generally the runny mix seems to shrink more as well.

 
Wet Spreaders

Wet Spreaders

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European Bloke said:
Ideally I'd put something easy to sand in the old holes, and something strong in the new holes. So two different mixes. I do see your point though. Generally the runny mix seems to shrink more as well.
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My deck is Kiwigrip, so making a perfect sanded finish to deck level is not really necessary. You could make a ploughed field look like a ..a.. ploughed field in the other direction, using that stuff.  Getting a color match will be a bitch because I bet the deck has faded over time.

 
saboteer

saboteer

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Dana Point, CA
When I redid the thru bolts for my turning blocks on the O30 I used this:  https://www.westsystem.com/specialty-epoxies/six10-thickened-epoxy-adhesive/

Very easy to use, over drilled and did the allen key clean out of the holes prior to filling with the epoxy.  Taped the underside and filled.  After I just drilled, used some basic silicone sealant and bolted the blocks back.  The West Systems made for easy clean up and no fuss in getting accurate mixing.  I would highly recommend this.

 
Crash

Crash

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Epoxy doesn’t like UV, so you’ll have to cover “epoxy filled old track” holes with something to protect from UV.  Kiwi grip and a chip brush might be easiest answer. Be sure to clean off blush post cure/before painting

 
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Gouvernail

Gouvernail

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One effective solution is to rough up the underside and lay on a couple Half dollar diameter torn chunks of mat. The torn edges make it easy to blend in tgat platch.

Then fill them hole with something. I like 3M High strength Blister filler

Them dish out a quarter sized depression on the deck , lay down some fiberglass and finish to taste 

 
V

valcour

Member
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Drill out the hole, and do the Allen wrench thing to route out the core. Cover the hole on the underside of the deck with masking tape. Mix up some unthickened epoxy and syringe it into the hole, filling it up to the top.

Go below and poke a hole in the masking tape to let the epoxy run out, catching it in a plastic cup.  The “draining” action lets the bubbles out and leaves the interior of the hole coated with a thin layer of epoxy.  Retape the bottom of the hole, and refill it with the drained epoxy.  After curing, drill for fasteners.

Can’t remember where I heard this, so cannot give credit.  Might have been Don Casey. 

 
El Borracho

El Borracho

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valcour said:
Drill out the hole, and do the Allen wrench thing to route out the core. Cover the hole on the underside of the deck with masking tape. Mix up some unthickened epoxy and syringe it into the hole, filling it up to the top.

Go below and poke a hole in the masking tape to let the epoxy run out, catching it in a plastic cup.  The “draining” action lets the bubbles out and leaves the interior of the hole coated with a thin layer of epoxy.  Retape the bottom of the hole, and refill it with the drained epoxy.  After curing, drill for fasteners.

Can’t remember where I heard this, so cannot give credit.  Might have been Don Casey. 
Click to expand...
Maybe you meant refill with thickened drained epoxy? Some owner filled dozens of holes in my deck with clear epoxy. Most came loose, ruined the finish, some fell out, all the others were shattered out cleanly with a chisel blow. Nearly worthless without copious filler.

 
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